Herman Boone Biography

Herman Ike Boone was born on October 28, 1935, and served as a high school football coach who led the 1971 T. C. Williams High School team to a 13–0 season, a state championship, and a national runner-up finish. The 2000 film Remember the Titans was based on the season in which Herman Boone served as head coach. While studying at North Carolina Central University, Boone became a member of the Tau Psi chapter of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity. In 1961, Boone returned to North Carolina to continue his work as a coach and teacher. The 1966 football team earned recognition from Scholastic Coach's Magazine as the top team in America. In 1969, Boone resigned after being told by the Williamston school board that the town was not ready for a Black head coach. Boone led the team on a preseason training trip to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where team members began to bond, drawing national attention including a visit from an aide to President Richard Nixon.